Fever
by nherbie
Summary: 2018 reboot. Magnum missed a meeting with a new client and Juliet is less than pleased.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A/N - I'm having a bit of writer's block on my other story, Blindsided. This came up from I don't know where.

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Juliet Higgins was furious and hiding it behind a polite smile as she listened to their potential client tell her what he wanted to hire them for. Her partner was supposed to be here, that was part of a new agreement between them that he'd insisted he was fine with. A few too many clients that he'd accepted without her approval, had led to this. The fact that he couldn't be bothered to show up on time was insulting, to both her and to their client. She'd had to lie to him and say that Magnum had unexpectedly been called away when they got a break on another case they were working on. She knew he was on the estate. All the cars were present and accounted for. She'd texted him when the client showed up early for their consultation and he had yet to deign to answer.

An hour later their client had tearfully signed on and she had what she needed to begin their investigation. Cheating wives and husbands were, unfortunately, their bread and butter. She escorted him to his car and watched as he drove down the drive. Once she had let him out the gate and it closed behind him, she turned her attention to the guest house. She began to walk towards it, her anger gowing as she got closer. Stepping up to the door she didn't knock so much as pound on it. When she got no answer, she tried the door and found it open, which was a bit surprising. He always kept his door locked. Her irritation with him muffled any concern she might have felt.

Stepping through, she called out his name. "Magnum! Where are you? You missed the meeting with our client! If you overslept and blew us off, I may seriously need to reconsider this partnership!"

Getting no answer, she frowned, feeling the first niggle of worry. Magnum may be a lot of things, some good and some bad, but he was never deliberately rude. She moved from the empty kitchen into the living room and found it empty as well. She really didn't want to barge into his bedroom as who knew who might be in there with him, but she was starting to think she didn't have a choice. She'd peek in and, if he had company, she'd sneak back out. She'd read him the riot act later. At the top of the stairs, she stopped outside his door, knocking quietly. When she got no response, she silently opened the door. Peeking around it, she assumed the lump in the middle of the bed was him. Sleeping!

All pretense of keeping quiet went out the window as she stormed over to the bed. She put a hand on what she assumed was his shoulder and shook. Getting no response, she grabbed the covers and yanked them down. The face that emerged was pale and slick with sweat. Worried now, she reached out and touched his forehead.

"My God, Magnum, you're burning up!" He was hot to the touch and began to shiver now that the covers had been removed. The room was on the closer side to hot than cold and she knew this wasn't good. She pulled the covers back up and he never woke up, worrying her more. She went into the attached bathroom to get a cold cloth to wipe him down and see if she could find a thermometer. On her way, she pulled out her cell and pulled up Rick's contact information. Hitting dial, she stuck it between her ear and her shoulder as she began to rummage around the bathroom, which was surprisingly neat and well organized.

"Yo, Higgy, what's up?"

"Rick, Magnum's sick. He's running a fever and shivering even though the room is on the warm side. He didn't wake up when I shook him."

"So, he's not aware of you?" His tone was sharp.

"No."

"Juliet, whatever you do, do NOT touch him, do NOT make any loud noises or sudden moves, not if you aren't sure he knows who you are. Even if he appears unconscious. He can be a sneaky bastard. I'll let T.C. know and we'll come out there."

"Rick, I think he might need a hospital."

"Just give us the time to get there and we'll decide then."

"Rick…"

"Look, Jules, if he's disoriented, he could be a danger to you or to the EMTs. Just let me and T.C. get there and assess the situation."

"It sounds like you've been through this before."

"I don't know what's wrong with him, but yeah, we've had to deal with a delusional Thomas. He comes across all happy go lucky but remember that he's a trained combat vet who went through a pretty traumatic experience."

"Very well, but please, hurry?"

"I'm leaving now." She could hear the car start up and felt a little of the weight lift from her shoulders. "We'll see you shortly."

"Good, I'll be waiting." She hung up and left the bathroom to find Thomas was no longer unconscious and laying under the covers. Instead, he was pressed up against the headboard, his knees drawn up, his arms around them with his head resting on his arms, only one side of his face visible. As she cautiously approached, she could hear him talking but it wasn't until she got closer that she realized he was praying.

"Dear God, please, I don't want to be here anymore. It's cold and it's…lonely. So alone." A lone tear trickled down his face and she ached to gently wipe it away, but she heeded Rick's warning. His words told her he was most likely back in the Korengal and would not know her. He started again, softer than before.

"Maybe I deserve this but Rick, T.C. and Nuzo don't. They're only here because of me. My fault. All my fault. Please, if you let them get out of here, I'll stay, I'll do whatever you want. **_Please_**."

Her heart ached at his words. She'd had only a vague idea that he blamed himself for their capture from things the three men had let slip at times. How much, she hadn't realized until now. She waited a few minutes to see if he would wake up, but he stayed where he was, his eyes slightly open and unseeing, his breathing raspy and uneven.

She took a step forward and he started again. She wasn't sure if her movement had triggered it or if he was totally unaware of her presence. This time, however, he was speaking in Spanish.

"Dios mío, por favor cuida a mi madre. Estaba enferma la última vez que la vi y no quiero que muera antes de que tenga la oportunidad de verla una vez más y decirle cuánto la amo."

She spoke the language, amongst several others, and knew he was asking for God to watch over his mother, that she'd been ill the last they'd talked and that he wanted to see her one more time, to tell her how much he loved her. She wondered if the subconscious knowledge that his mother had died and been buried while he was a prisoner, was driving this particular prayer. She remembered the look on his face at the funeral for Staff Sergeant Howl's father. The tears that had filled his eyes, but he hadn't let fall.

"Oh, Thomas." She said softly. Her words were quiet but had quite the effect, just not one she was expecting. Suddenly, he was no longer huddled against the headboard but instantly crouched on the bed in a fighting stance. She took a step back without thinking.

"Thomas Sullivan Magnum the Fourth, Lt. Commander, US Navy." He paused and looked at her, his eyes glazed and unfocused. She knew he still wasn't seeing her. He spoke again. "من به شما چیزی نمی گویم ، آیا من را درک می کنید ؟ مهم نیست که چه چیزی شما را به من ، چند بار شما به من قرار داده پایین اینجا! من هرگز به کشور من و یا دوستان من خیانت! هرگز!" (_I won't tell you anything, do you understand me? No matter what you do to me, how many times you put me down here! I'll never betray my country or my friends! Never!)_

She didn't know the language and wasn't sure how to respond. "Thomas, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. Please, can you try English?"

He simply repeated what he'd said. "من به شما چیزی نمی گویم ، آیا من را درک می کنید ؟ مهم نیست که چه چیزی شما را به من ، چند بار شما به من قرار داده پایین اینجا! من هرگز به کشور من و یا دوستان من خیانت! هرگز!"

Behind her a voice spoke quietly, nearly making her jump out of her skin. "It's Dari."

"What is he saying?"

"I'm not sure, Thomas is the one who speaks it fluently, the rest of us learned just a few words, enough to get by. I recognized 'never' and 'friends'. This isn't good Higgy, he's back there."

"I figured as much. What can we do?" She was really worried by now.

Rick gave her a sickly smile and turned to his friend, raising his arms slightly and opening his hands, palms out. Showing he was unarmed. Softly, he said. "Thomas, it's Rick. It's okay buddy, we're not there anymore. You're in Hawaii, brother. Come on, you know this." His voice was soft and gentle.

Magnum repeated the same words again, coughing in between them this time.

"Thomas, you need to come back now. You're in Hawaii. We got out of there, we all got out of there. You're living the high life, sponging off Robin, cadging favors from your friends. _Helping people_." The last two words were said with emphasis and Magnum seemed to relax a bit. He tilted his head at his friend and his eyes finally a bit more focused. Juliet felt hope that was instantly dashed with his next words.

"Rick?"

"Yeah, buddy, it's me."

"What did you do to get thrown in here with me?" He sounded anguished.

"Nothing, Tommy, we're not there anymore."

Magnum shook his head in confusion. "No, this is a trick." He looked at his friend, squinting as if not able to clearly make out his face. "Are they forcing you to do this? Are they threatening T.C. and Nuzo?"

"No, T.M., we're all fine." How he wished that were true. They all missed Nuzo, all the time, but Tommy had been especially close to Sebastian and was still grieving for him a year later.

Another quiet voice joined Rick's. T.C. had entered the house unbeknownst to them as they concentrated on their friend. "Thomas, you're sick and we need to help you. You know where we are, my brother. We're in Hawaii." His deep voice was calm and soothing.

"T.C.? You're here too, what…." He looked around, his eyes a little less glazed. When they landed on Juliet, recognition flared after a moment. "Juliet?"

"Yes, Thomas, it's me." She replied just as quietly as the two men had spoken.

"Oh." He frowned. "I don't feel so good." With that, his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. Before he could fall off the bed and hurt himself, T.C. and Rick had rushed to his side and gently lowered him to the bed. Juliet stepped up and immediately placed the strip thermometer she'd found on his forehead. She impatiently waited the requisite fifteen seconds. She pulled it off and looked at her friends in alarm.

"It's 106.8. We need to get him to the hospital immediately."

"I brought the chopper, just in case." T.C. said and she was amazed that she hadn't even registered the sound of the machine landing on the property, she'd been so focused on Thomas. "We can get him to the hospital a lot quicker that way."

"I'll sit in the back with him." Higgins immediately offered. She hurried downstairs to the kitchen while T.C. and Rick wrestled an unconscious Magnum down the stairs. By the time they were on the ground floor and ready to put him in the chopper, she was ready with a bag of ice and the cloth she'd taken from the bathroom but forgotten she'd been holding, as well as texting Kumu to let her know what was going on. She got in first and the other two managed to get their smaller friend into the back, his head in her lap. T.C. got in the front and Rick helped rearrange Magnum so his legs were inside, then gently placed the headset on her head.

He looked at her, his worry evident. "You okay?"

"Yes, please, let's just go!" Magnum's shivering was worse, and she could feel the heat from his body through her clothes. Rick nodded and hurried over to the front passenger seat. Once he was in, T.C. started the engine and soon had the bird in the air. The dead silence showed just how worried they all were. Higgins gently ran the cool cloth over Magnum's forehead and down the side of his face. He moaned and tried to get away. It didn't take much of her strength to keep him in place and she found herself wondering how long he'd been sick. She tried to remember if he'd seemed off the prior evening when they'd met to discuss this morning's meeting. She realized he'd declined her offer of a beer and something to eat, stating he'd been tired and just wanted to hit the rack. She hadn't really thought much about it as he'd been running around all day, working on another case. If she'd paid a bit more attention, would he be as bad as he was now?

"Juliet. Stop it." Rick said over the headset from the front seat, not even turning around. He'd just hung up from the hospital, letting them know that they were bringing a very sick man into the ER. They'd given permission for them to land on the roof and promised to be ready for him. He could almost feel the wheels turning in her head from the front seat.

"Stop what?" She couldn't figure out how he knew.

"Stop trying to find a way to blame yourself." He replied quietly. "If Thomas didn't want you to know he was feeling sick, you wouldn't have known. I told you, he's a sneaky bastard."

"I should have known something was off! I offered him a beer and he turned me down. He never turns down a beer! I keep his favorite brand in the main house, just for him."

Rick and T.C. exchanged glances, wondering if she knew just how much she had given away with that statement. "Thomas wouldn't have wanted to worry you and I'm sure he just thought he was run down, something a good night's sleep would put right." Rick said.

"I still should have seen something was up."

"And do what?" T.C. asked.

"I…I…I don't know? Made him see a doctor? At least checked in on him instead of waiting as long as I did?"

"Higgy, you didn't know, and you had no reason to suspect anything was wrong." He replied.

She gently brushed the cloth over Magnum's face again, avoiding the hands that came up to push her away once again. He coughed dryly and moaned. Frowning at her observations, she asked abruptly. "How much longer?"

"We should be there in a few minutes. How's our boy doing?" Something in her voice told them things were getting worse.

"Not well. He's coughing and he's trying to get away from the cooling cloth but he's so weak a child could stop him." She paused and then finished with the most worrying development. "He's stopped sweating and shivering."

Rick and T.C. exchanged another look, this one laden with worry. They both knew what that meant. Thomas was dehydrated and his body was losing the fight with whatever was attacking it.

"We're almost there." T.C. said as he pushed the bird a little more.

The following five minutes were quiet and tense, broken only by coughing and a quiet moan now and again from the back. All three were relieved when the hospital came into sight. T.C. landed quickly and the promised personnel were waiting. Thomas was efficiently transferred to a gurney as a nurse took his vitals. What she found concerned her and she stepped up the urgency to get him into the hospital and under a doctor's care. They whisked him away, with Rick and Juliet on their heels. T.C. would need to move the chopper in case Medi-vac would have to access the helipad should they need to bring someone else in. It killed him to have to leave Thomas behind, but he knew he had no choice. Rick turned just before disappearing through the door and they shared a look, then both nodded. T.C. took off and headed towards Island Hoppers at top speed.

When he landed, Shammy was waiting. "How is he?"

"Not good, brother, not good." He filled him in on their friend's condition. "At least he's at the hospital now." He finished as he turned to the chopper, engrained habits taking over, but Shammy intercepted him.

"Go! I'll take care of the post flight stuff."

"Thanks, Shammy!" T.C. threw over his shoulder as he raced towards his van.

Shammy called out after him. "Keep me posted!"

"Of course!" He threw himself into the front seat, started it up and peeled out, breaking all kinds of speed limits, expecting any minute to be pulled over. He reached the hospital in record time with no tickets, which kind of surprised him. He raced to the ER and didn't find Higgins or Rick there. He was about to call his buddy, when he got a text.

'He's in ICU. Higgy and I are in the waiting room. We'll see you when you get here.'

He felt something clench in his chest. This wasn't good if they'd already put him there. He forewent the elevator, knowing he would go stark raving mad just standing there and watching the floors slowly go past. Pushing open the stairwell door, he took the steps two at a time until he reached the fourth floor. If he was panting a bit more than he would admit, he'd chalk it up to stress and worry and not to the fact that he wasn't in as good shape as he had been in the service. He stopped at the door and got control of himself, not wanting to upset any other families that might be waiting. Ready, he stepped through and quickly found the waiting room. Rick and Juliet looked up at his entrance and he knew they were hoping he was the doctor. He didn't take it personally that they looked disappointed when it was him. He'd have done the same.

Walking over to them, he took the seat to the left of Juliet, who looked bereft, the two men bracketing their little sister, something they considered her but would think twice about telling her. She was, after all, dangerous when armed. Actually, dangerous even when not armed.

"What did they say?" T.C. asked.

"They haven't told us anything yet." Rick said.

"Why? He's been here, what, almost two hours?"

Rick smiled at him, although it didn't reach his eyes. "Brother, I don't know what kind of land speed record you set, but we only brought him in a little over a half hour ago."

Shocked, T.C. looked at his watch and realized he was right. Time had seemed to drag once he'd lifted off and he'd felt like it had taken him hours to get here. He heaved a sigh and resigned himself to waiting.

Juliet suddenly spoke up. "Does he do that often?" She'd known him over a year now and had never seen anything from him like the scene in his bedroom earlier.

Not even pretending to misunderstand her, Rick nodded. "It's happened once or twice. Thomas has an iron control over himself but when he's disoriented by a fever or badly concussed, he can slip back there. It's one of the reasons he doesn't like taking pain meds or drinking too much. If he loses control…."

"He could hurt someone." She supplied.

"And if it was someone he cared about, you, Kumu, either of us, it would destroy him." T.C. added quietly.

Her head lifted from her intense perusal of the waiting room floor. "Why? It wouldn't be like it was his…fault." The last word was said softly as she remembered his words that their incarceration was all his fault. She hadn't told them about that.

"It wouldn't matter. Thomas, he seems to think everything is his fault, even though he hides it." Rick paused and then continued. "He wasn't like that before the camp. Ever since he found out Hannah betrayed us to the Taliban, he's taken on the weight of the world."

Juliet opened her mouth to reply when the door opened, and a doctor stepped through. "Family of Thomas Magnum?"

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A/N2 – I don't speak Spanish or Dari, so had to use google translate. Dari was not available, nor was Pashtu, the two official languages of Afghanistan. I had to use Persian, which google also told me was the basis of both languages. There was also no phonetic sites I could find, so I had to go with the written version. I apologize for any inconsistencies.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
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They all stood up and advanced on her, each saying 'here'. She looked at the mismatched group before her and opened her mouth to question things when Rick beat her to it.

"He's our brother and I have his Health Care Proxy. Theodore Calvin here, is his alternate. The hospital has all that information in his records. As such, I authorize you to share whatever you know with all three of us."

"Very well." She took a deep breath. "My name is Doctor Susan Prentiss and I've been assigned to your…brother. He's very ill. His temperature when you brought him in was 106."

Juliet interrupted. "That's actually an improvement. It was 106.8 when we left to bring him here."

Dr. Prentiss made a note in the casebook for her patient. "That's good. Did you give him anything?" She asked looking back up.

"No, we discovered he was sick, saw his temperature and immediately brought him here. The only thing we did was try to cool him down with a cool cloth." Juliet answered.

"That may have helped to save his life." She replied.

Juliet paled. "Is it that bad?"

"I won't lie to you, it's not good. His temperature is being stubborn, and he's had a couple of convulsions. He was badly dehydrated. We have him on fluids and broad-spectrum antibiotics, along with applying cooling measures."

"Do you know what it is?" Juliet asked.

"We believe it's the flu." Prentiss responded

"So, it's not fatal?" Rick said with relief.

The doctor held up her hand. "Upwards of 2000 people die each year from the flu. It's not as prevalent as some drug companies would have you believe, but it can kill you. We need to worry about this developing into bronchitis or pneumonia. His lungs are showing signs of congestion already. Especially if his immune system is weak." She cleared her throat, knowing that her next question could be taken the wrong way. "Is there any reason that his may be?"

T.C. sighed. "Yeah, Thomas, Rick and I spent a little over eighteen months in a POW camp. We were malnourished, constantly dehydrated and didn't see the sun very often." He left out the beatings, electrocution and other forms of torture. "All of us have compromised immune systems."

"That explains…" She started and then stopped.

"The scars?" Rick asked. She nodded. "Courtesy of the Taliban." He finished.

"I'm so sorry that you went through that. Still, this information will be very helpful."

"Uh, doc?" Rick was hesitant.

"Yes?"

"It might be a good idea for one of us to be present when he wakes up. If he's still out of it, he could be…combative."

"Flashbacks?"

"Yes."

"Does he need to be restrained?"

"No!" Both Rick and T.C. answered at the same time. Rick expounded. "No, restraints will only enhance the flashbacks. If we're there, we can ground him in the here and now."

"I can't take a chance with the safety of my staff."

Juliet drew herself up, outraged all out of proportion at the woman's very real concern. "He would never hurt anyone deliberately! He's one of the kindest men I know!"

"Deliberately is not the issue here, Ms…."

"Higgins. Juliet Higgins."

"Look, I'm not suggesting he would hurt someone on purpose, but I've dealt with veterans experiencing an episode and they truly believe they are fighting the enemy. It's out of their control."

T.C. spoke up. "We get it, we do, but putting T.M. in restraints should only be a last-ditch effort. One you can avoid if you let us sit with him."

She bit her lip, looking at the three worried faces watching her. Sighing, she nodded. "Very well, but only one at a time. Your friend is still a very sick man."

"Anything you want."

"Once he's settled in his room, I'll come back and get one of you. Set up a rotation amongst yourselves and I'll update the ICU staff both about the fact that _one_ of you is allowed to be with him at all times _and_ about the possibility of him becoming violent if he experiences a flashback." She held up a hand at the protests. "That is non-negotiable. My staff is well trained and know how to deal with things like that, but, again, I will not put them at risk." She looked each of them in the eyes and they finally all nodded, knowing that they'd gotten more concessions from the hospital than they probably should have.

After she left, they agreed they would take two-hour shifts and that Rick would take the first, T.C. the second and Juliet the third. While they were waiting, the two veterans trained Juliet on how to calm Thomas down, what worked with him and what didn't. How to watch the heart monitor for sudden irregularities, especially if it sped up. Touch was important. While he was out, keep contact with him and keep it when he wakes up. If, for some reason, you can't and he wakes up, do not initiate touching him. Talk to him softly and calmly. If it didn't work, she was to text one of them immediately. She nodded her understanding. When the door opened, they all startled as they were so immersed in their discussion. They looked up to find Kumu coming through the door and surprisingly, Detective Katsumoto was right behind her.

"How is he?" Kumu asked, her concern evident.

"He's not great, Kumu, but he's in good hands. They're doing everything they can." Juliet answered. "They're going to allow one of us to sit with him at all times."

"I'll take a shift." Katsumoto said, shocking them. Rick, T.C. and Juliet exchanged looks, making the detective frown at them. "What aren't you telling us?"

Rick hesitated and then said. "Thomas's fever was so high, he was hallucinating."

"And?"

"Look, he was back in the Korengal and turned combative. We were able to talk him down, but only because we know what to do."

"I can handle it. We're trained in this and it won't be the first time I've dealt with someone either having a flashback or a drug induced hallucination."

"Yeah." T.C. said. "But were any of them combat trained?"

Katsumoto nodded, remembering a situation from his early days, back when Stanley was still alive and still his partner. He'd learned more from that man than anyone since. The specific call in question, had been about a Vietnam vet who had gone off his medication. Stanley had treated him with respect and honor, calming him down with quiet words of encouragement and offers of help. It had taken a while, but his partner had taken his time, never showing any impatience. Later, he said he'd have spent as much time as it took, that the man deserved their respect for what he'd done for his country. "I can handle it." He repeated. They then decided he would take the second shift instead of T.C., as that would allow him to get to work on time. Juliet would take the third and T.C. the fourth.

Kumu, on the other hand, was at a loss. She had no idea Thomas suffered from PTSD as she'd never seen any sign of it in the boyish retired Seal she'd come to know and love. She knew she wasn't equipped to handle it, that it would break her heart. She sighed and said. "I'd like to offer, but I don't think I'd be much good. What I can do, is make sure all of you are fed and taken care of."

"Thanks, Kumu." T.C. said. They were interrupted by the doctor returning. She paused when she saw the small band of disparate family had grown by two. She smiled at the new arrivals, glad to know her patient had a good support group.

"Who's going first?"

Rick raised his hand. "That would be me."

"Very well, if you'll follow me?" She looked at the rest. "Your friend is in room 4D."

"Mahalo, Dr. Prentiss." T.C. said.

She smiled. "Mahalo." She left with Rick trailing behind her.

The ones left behind, milled around for a bit, not really sure what to do with themselves. Eventually, they all sat but Kumu popped up again almost immediately. "I know what hospital coffee is like, I'll go and get you all some of the good stuff. I'll be right back." She hurried out of the room. The others smiled tiredly at her desire to do something to help Magnum, even if it was indirectly. They talked quietly amongst themselves until she returned, bringing Katsumoto up to date on what had happened during the day, leaving nothing out. Except for Juliet, who would never tell another living soul the heartbreaking things she'd heard her partner say, not even to him.

When Kumu returned, they thanked her profusely for the coffee, not even surprised that she got them all made exactly the way they liked them, even the detective. Once she'd given out all but one, she left the room to deliver Rick's to him. Outside 4D, she looked through the glass windows that allowed the ICU staff to keep a close eye on their patients. Rick was sitting by Magnum's side, holding his hand and gently carding his hands through the man's hair. She could see his lips moving but couldn't make out the words. The sight made her heart ache and she almost walked away but then remembered how much Rick loved his coffee. She tapped gently on the glass and he looked up. She held up the coffee and she was pretty sure he mouthed the words 'I love you' to her.

Stepping quietly inside, she walked to the bed, taking in the pale man in it. Even when they'd been allowed in to see him after he'd woken from the surgery to remove the bullet Hannah had put in him, he'd only been a little wan and all smiles. This time, he was so still, his face hidden behind an oxygen mask, several IV's hooked up to his arm, he almost didn't look alive. Only the faint misting inside the mask let her know he was still breathing, albeit shallowly, his chest barely rising and falling. She listened to the reassuring steady sound of the heart monitor. When Rick reached out to tap her on her arm, she realized she was staring and still holding his coffee. She blushed a little and handed it to him. He took a sip and sighed with contentment.

"This is amazing, Kumu. I meant it; I love you." He said quietly.

She knew he was joking around, but she _had_ come to love all three of them since Thomas had come to live on the estate. She smiled at him and said just as quietly. "I love you too, all of you." She reached out to put her hand over his on Thomas's, so missed the look of shock that passed over his face, followed by one of gratitude. He hadn't had anyone tell him that in a long time, aside from his brothers. He'd missed that. She looked up to find him smiling at her and she smiled back. "I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything, anything at all, just text me. I'll be close by."

"You're the best!"

"Remember that the next time I tell you that you can't eat chips in the living room of the main house."

They both laughed softly. Reaching down, Kumu pressed a kiss to Thomas's forehead and then turned to do the same to Rick. He watched her go in bemusement, then shook himself and went back to his task of keeping watch over his brother. sipping at his coffee absent mindedly.

The rest of the day passed quietly. The nurses came in to do vitals checks, Doctor Prentiss stopped in to check on him several times as well. Katsumoto took his shift and then passed it on to Juliet, who sat at Thomas's side staring at him for over an hour, his hand in hers as she absently rubbed circles on the back. She was so zoned out, so focused on him, that the increased beeping from the heart monitor startled her, although she caught herself before she could trigger Thomas. When he began to moan and mutter, she tightened her hold on his hand marginally and leaned down to talk to him, shocked to find his eyes open and staring at her, but without recognition. Her heart began to beat faster as she remembered what Rick and T.C. had told her.

"Thomas, you're in Hawaii, in the hospital. We're all very worried about you but you're safe here. No one can hurt you." She said quietly.

He muttered something and tried to pull his hand out of hers, a look of fear crossing his face when she wouldn't let it go, not wanting to relinquish her touch point. Having a sudden thought, she changed tactics.

"Estamos aquí por ti, nunca dejaremos que nadie te lastime. Rick y T.C. están en la otra habitación. Estás a salvo aquí." (_We're here for you, we'll never let anyone hurt you. Rick and T.C. are just in the other room. You're safe here._) She kept telling him he was safe and that they were all there for him. His heart rate subsided, and he looked up at her, tears in his eyes. She didn't think he really saw her yet, but he was calmer.

"Mamá?"

Her heart stuttered but she smiled down at him through the tears she refused to shed. "Sí, hijo mío. Estoy aquí. Te quiero Tomas." (_Yes, my son. I'm here. I love you Thomas.)_

"Te echaba de menos. Te quiero muchísimo." (_I missed you. I love you so much_.)

"Descansa ahora. Estaré aquí cuando despiertes." (_Rest now. I'll be here when you wake up_.)

His eyes closed and he looked more at peace. She wiped away the lone tear that escaped despite her control and then looked up at a noise. T.C. was staring at her from the doorway, having come in for his shift. She didn't what to say, not sure if he understood Spanish, hoping he didn't. Her hope was dashed when he said. "Eso fue increíble, hermanita. Tienes un gran corazón." _(That was amazing, little sister. You have a big heart.)_

She didn't know what else to say, other than "Gracias." She stood up and went to let go of Magnum's hand, but he gripped it, refusing to let it go. He began to get agitated again and she sat back down, tightening her grip and starting the circles again.

"Estoy aquí. Descansa ahora." (_I'm here. Rest now.) _She said and he subsided with a sigh. She looked up at T.C. and smiled a little sadly. "I think I'll just stay a bit longer."

He looked like he wanted to argue, she knew he was worried that she'd exhaust herself, but then he simply walked into the room, squeezed her shoulder and walked back out. She turned back to her newest hobby of Magnum watching and was surprised to find herself thinking that she would do anything for him, for any one of them. They truly had become her Ohana. A concept she really hadn't understood until Magnum had sidled into her world, pulling his best friends in his wake. Before she'd had time to think, they were suddenly in all aspects of her life and, while she complained as expected, she'd found she wouldn't change a thing.

The night and next day passed quietly. His temperature finally began to come down, the antibiotics doing their job. Juliet took the lion's share of the shifts, her absence causing him to become unsettled. T.C. had told both Rick and Kumu what she'd done. Neither had been shocked, they'd seen how close the two had become. Becoming partners in the Private Investigation business had been an interesting development. They had had to finally put their foot down and send her home to sleep, the dark circles under her eyes had concerned them all. She'd argued but had finally had to acquiesce when she'd yawned widely in the middle of one of her arguments that stated she wasn't even tired. She'd slept fitfully, but even that had done some good. She felt more awake and had rushed back to the hospital in time to take her next designated shift.

A little over a half hour into her shift, she sensed something different. Looking up, she saw his eyes were open and looking at her. He frowned a little and asked. "Juliet?"

"Thomas! You're awake!" She gripped his hand a bit harder and he winced. "Sorry, sorry." She relaxed her hold.

"What…what happened? What am I doing in the hospital?" She was so relieved that he recognized where he was, that she almost leaned over and kissed him, stopping herself just in time.

"You had the flu."

"The _flu_?" Somehow, he sound offended.

"Yes, the flu." She frowned at him. "It was serious Thomas, your temperature spiked to almost 107. Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?"

"I didn't know. I was a bit achy and tired, but figured it was just because of all the running around I was doing. I'm not stupid, if I thought something was really wrong, I would have told you." He sounded sincere and she subsided.

"Yes, well, things were a bit touch and go for the last two days."

"_Two days_?" He sounded incredulous. How had he lost two days?

"Yes, two days. You were on the edge, Thomas. You scared me, all of us." She qualified.

"I didn't mean to." He smiled his boyish smile and she just shook her head, reaching for her phone. 'He's awake and aware.' She texted to the group. Her phone lit up with instant replies, causing her to smile.

"What are ya doing there, Higgy?" Taken in by how her face had lit up, he felt kind of silly, wondering if they had him on the good drugs.

She held up the phone and smiled. Your 'Ohana' are on their way." He smiled in return and the two stared at each other for a moment, smiles locked in place. The door opened, interrupting something neither of them understood.

Rick piled in first. "Hey buddy! You're looking better!" Kumu, Katsumoto and T.C. tumbled in next.

Magnum frowned. "As opposed to what?"

Rick snorted. "Death warmed over."

"Come on! It couldn't have been that bad!" Thomas replied

"It was, and then some." The detective snorted.

Magnum's frown deepened as he tried to pull up recent memories, none of which cooperated. The last thing he remembered was meeting with Juliet about a potential client. Client? He turned to her. "Client? Didn't we have a client meeting this morning?"

Juliet sighed. "That was two days ago, Thomas. We took the case and I explained to him that we might be delayed a day or two. He was fine with it. I think he wants to put off confirming what he already knows."

"Cheating wife?" He sounded sad.

She reached out and put a hand on his. "Yes, unfortunately."

He stared down at her hand, a memory trying to surface. She saw the concentration on his face and exchanged a worried look with T.C. Eventually, he pushed it away, to their very great relief.

"So, when do I get to go home?"

~,~,~,~,~


End file.
